Georgia Has Voted for Raphael Warnock Many, Many Times

You have to keep pulling the lever for the guy.

Later this morning, I, a Georgia resident, will be (early) voting for Raphael Warnock in his runoff election for the United States Senate against his Republican challenger Herschel Walker. The race is the one remaining, lingering race from the 2022 midterms, thanks to Georgia’s (historically sinister) laws that require a runoff between the top two candidates if no one reaches 50 percent in the general election. I am excited to vote for Sen. Warnock for many reasons: Because he’s an effective, empathetic politician; an inspiring speaker; a center-left candidate who appeals to both the center and left; a stealth 2028 Presidential candidate (if he wins); because Herschel Walker is one of my favorite football players ever but has absolutely no business being anywhere near the United States Senate.

But here’s another reason I’m voting for Warnock: I am really, really good at voting for Raphael Warnock. I’ve had a lot of practice.

On January 30, 2020, just about a month and a half until the world changed forever, Raphael Warnock, preacher at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. Warnock was considered an instant favorite against fellow Democrats Matt Lieberman and Ed Tarver in the primary, but an underdog against either sitting Senator Kelly Loeffler or her challenger Doug Collins in the general election. Because the election was being held to fill the seat of Sen. Johnny Isakson, who retired for health reasons, it would only be for a two-year term: Whoever won would have to run again in 2022.

Which means, ever since January 2020, Raphael Warnock has had to get elected constantly.

The first election, in a campaign that ran throughout the pandemic and “ended” in November 2020, was a “jungle” primary, meaning that every candidate, regardless of party, was on the same ballot. The top two finishers in that one, as long as neither got 50 percent (which was widely expected, with so many candidates on the ballot), advanced to the January runoff. Warnock finished first in that November primary, but it was jumbled:

I voted for Warnock that November 2020. So there’s once.

Then came the runoff, which featured both Warnock and Jon Ossoff running against Loeffler and sitting Senator David Perdue. This was the high-profile one, for control of the Senate; it is difficult to wrap your arms around how different the last two years might have been if Warnock and Ossoff had not won. Again, this was just for a two-year term for Warnock, as opposed to a six-year term for Ossoff. (This is why you haven’t really heard anything about Jon Ossoff in 2022.) But Warnock, famously, beat Loeffler.

I voted for Warnock that January 2021. So there’s twice.

But that’s the problem with those special elections: You barely have time to be a Senator until you have to start running again. So now-sitting Sen. Warnock had to win his own party’s nomination again in May 2022, this time easily dispatching challenger Tarama Johnson-Shealey and advancing him to the general election against Republican Herschel Walker.

I voted for Warnock that May 2022. So there’s three times.

Then it was general election time. After the Democratic successes of 2020, Republicans dominated in 2022, led by Governor Brian Kemp beating challenger Stacey Abrams for the second consecutive election, this time by far more than he did in 2018. Only Warnock was able to stave off Georgia’s red wave, beating Walker but not reaching the 50 percent threshold, forcing the December 6 runoff.

I voted for Warnock in November 2022. That’s four times.

And we are now a week away from the runoff. It is perhaps not surprising what the Warnock campaign has chosen as its runoff slogan.

That slogan is “One More Time.” If Warnock can win this final election, he doesn’t have to run for anything again for six more years. He will have won five — five! — elections in the span of 25 months. He will have gone 5–0, in Georgia. That’s the mark of an absolute star in Democratic politics. And that’s the mark of someone who has, without question, earned himself a break. I’m exhausted of voting for the guy: I can’t imagine how tired of running he must be.

Will Leitch writes multiple pieces a week for Medium. Make sure to follow him right here. He lives in Athens, Georgia, with his family and is the author of five books, including the Edgar-nominated novel How Lucky, now out from Harper Books. He also writes a free weekly newsletter that you might enjoy.